Report: Stephin Merritt with Rick Moody [New York, NY; 11/27/06]
One composes urbane indie-pop songs, the other is a Pushcart Prize-winning author who has written Sleater-Kinney's press bio and liner notes for Sufjan Stevens. Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields, 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and Gothic Archies fame) and Rick Moody (best known for 1994's The Ice Storm) traded wits last night at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
As part of the Y's November reading series, the two sat down to talk about "The Lyricist's Voice." Merritt also performed three songs on his ukulele, including one from the Gothic Archies' recently released The Tragic Treasury: Songs From a Series of Unfortunate Events, an accompaniment to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events book series.
The song, "Walking My Gargoyle", has only a "tenuous" connection to Snicket's stories, Merritt admitted. "I have a Chihuahua which has gigantic, gargoyle-like ears," he said. "It's a song about the pleasure of walking your pet, but it's a gargoyle."
In a constant deadpan, Merritt downplayed the extent to which his other songs are autobiographical, however. "I've been wildly mischaracterized as saying none of my songs are autobiographical, when they are far too short to be," he explained. "'Let's dance now'-- is that autobiographical? 'I love you, baby'-- is that autobiographical?"
Between sips of Chivas Regal, Merritt also performed the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs classic "The Book of Love". Turns out Moody chose this song to be played at his own wedding. Merritt asked him why he didn't pick a selection from Meat Loaf's catalogue instead.
"It's a song about being moved by something while knowing how corny it is," Merritt said of "Book of Love", describing it as one of several "manifestos" on his 1999 triple-album. "A strange thing to want to hear at your wedding, in my opinion."
The 6ths' "Aging Spinsters", Merritt's other performance of the night, is apparently at least biographical, if not autobiographical. According to Merritt, a friend insisted his songs were autobiographical, so he decided to write one about her-- "using her name, Diana, and telling her the thing she least wanted to hear, which was, 'Get married, Diana.' And she did get married."
The evening's literary conversation also spanned the poetics of Stephen Sondheim, two mid-70s hits both called "The Best of My Love" (by the Eagles and the Emotions, respectively), the politically loathsome melodic pleasures of both "Deutschland Über Alles" and "Another Brick in the Wall", the synths on Queen's Hot Space, and the irrelevance of "authenticity".
Merritt is "the finest songwriter of my generation," said Moody, who was famously dubbed "the worst writer of his generation" by a critic for The New Republic. Moody also said "there's no genre" in which Merritt can't compose. And no one mentioned this year's weird spat over the dandyish songwriter's apparent distaste for rap music.
Mostly, though, Merritt just talked about writing songs, which he says he remembers doing as far back as age nine, when he composed a "dull" tune called "What Do You Do When There's Nothing to Do". With Merritt, the words always come first, even if they're just placeholders to help remember a melody.
"I sit around in bars, in the corner, under a lamp with a little black book writing lyrics," Merritt said. "I don't write anything down until it's a lyric."
As part of the Y's November reading series, the two sat down to talk about "The Lyricist's Voice." Merritt also performed three songs on his ukulele, including one from the Gothic Archies' recently released The Tragic Treasury: Songs From a Series of Unfortunate Events, an accompaniment to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events book series.
The song, "Walking My Gargoyle", has only a "tenuous" connection to Snicket's stories, Merritt admitted. "I have a Chihuahua which has gigantic, gargoyle-like ears," he said. "It's a song about the pleasure of walking your pet, but it's a gargoyle."
In a constant deadpan, Merritt downplayed the extent to which his other songs are autobiographical, however. "I've been wildly mischaracterized as saying none of my songs are autobiographical, when they are far too short to be," he explained. "'Let's dance now'-- is that autobiographical? 'I love you, baby'-- is that autobiographical?"
Between sips of Chivas Regal, Merritt also performed the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs classic "The Book of Love". Turns out Moody chose this song to be played at his own wedding. Merritt asked him why he didn't pick a selection from Meat Loaf's catalogue instead.
"It's a song about being moved by something while knowing how corny it is," Merritt said of "Book of Love", describing it as one of several "manifestos" on his 1999 triple-album. "A strange thing to want to hear at your wedding, in my opinion."
The 6ths' "Aging Spinsters", Merritt's other performance of the night, is apparently at least biographical, if not autobiographical. According to Merritt, a friend insisted his songs were autobiographical, so he decided to write one about her-- "using her name, Diana, and telling her the thing she least wanted to hear, which was, 'Get married, Diana.' And she did get married."
The evening's literary conversation also spanned the poetics of Stephen Sondheim, two mid-70s hits both called "The Best of My Love" (by the Eagles and the Emotions, respectively), the politically loathsome melodic pleasures of both "Deutschland Über Alles" and "Another Brick in the Wall", the synths on Queen's Hot Space, and the irrelevance of "authenticity".
Merritt is "the finest songwriter of my generation," said Moody, who was famously dubbed "the worst writer of his generation" by a critic for The New Republic. Moody also said "there's no genre" in which Merritt can't compose. And no one mentioned this year's weird spat over the dandyish songwriter's apparent distaste for rap music.
Mostly, though, Merritt just talked about writing songs, which he says he remembers doing as far back as age nine, when he composed a "dull" tune called "What Do You Do When There's Nothing to Do". With Merritt, the words always come first, even if they're just placeholders to help remember a melody.
"I sit around in bars, in the corner, under a lamp with a little black book writing lyrics," Merritt said. "I don't write anything down until it's a lyric."
Recent News
Most Read News
- The Pitchfork Guide to Summer Festivals 2008
- The Pitchfork Guide to Upcoming Releases: Summer '08
- My Bloody Valentine Lead Unfuckingbelievable Lineup for New York All Tomorrow's Parties Fest
- Is This Really the New Weezer Album Cover?
- Dear God, Please Let This Be the Lil Wayne Album Cover
- My Bloody Valentine Announce North American Tour!
- Tom Waits Reveals "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Sigur Ros Line Up Summer Tour Dates
- Coldplay Reveal Viva la Vida Tracklist
- Sigur Rós Announce Full North American Tour
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Saturday]
- Wolf Parade March Out New LP Tracklist
- Photos: Sasquatch! Festival [Monday] (NSFW)
- Beck Announces Summer Tour
- Wolf Parade Announce Summer Tour
- Sonic Youth Reveal Starbucks Hits Comp Details
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Thursday/Friday]
- Sigur Ros Sneak Peeks of New Album, Expand Tour
- Pitchfork's Guide to Record Store Day
- Radiohead, Live Nation Respond to Virginia Washout
- Peter Hook Talks New Order Split, DVD, Joy Division
- Ian Curtis' Gravestone Stolen
- Was Bonnaroo Really M.I.A.'s "Last Gig Ever"?
- Tom Waits Extends "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Pitchfork Festival: Set Times Revealed! Tix Going Fast!
- The New Mogwai Album Tracklist Is Amazing
- Wolf Parade Join the 2008 Cover Art Hall of Fame
- The Conor Oberst Album Cover Is Dreamy
- Built to Spill Reveal Full-Blown Perfect Tour
- Crystal Castles Caught Up in Artwork Controversy
- Photos: Radiohead [West Palm Beach, FL; 05/05/08]
- Girl Talk's Feed the Animals Available Now!
- Radiohead Use Fancy Technology in Camera-Free Video
- The New Mogwai Album Cover Is Disappointing
- My Morning Jacket Announce Lengthy American Tour
- Weezer Reveal "Red Album" Tracklist, Bonus Cuts
- The National Design T-Shirt for Obama
- Arcade Fire Scoring Donnie Darko Dude's New Movie
- Josh Homme Defends Himself: "Homophobic? I'm in Queens of the Stone Age for Crissake"
- Radiohead, Prince at Odds Over Blocked YouTube Vids
- Radiohead to Go "Green" on "Conan O'Brien"
- Feist Does "1234" on "Sesame Street", Adds Dates
- Radiohead, Interpol, Pornos Fete Independents Day
- R. Kelly Not Guilty!!!!
- Crystal Castles Respond to Chip Music Controversy
- Kanye West Responds to Bonnaroo Haters
- Wanna Open for Coldplay?
- Sub Pop Announces 20th Anniversary Bash
- Bob Dylan Big Ups Barack Obama
- OiNK Users Apparently Arrested by British Police